The Los Angeles Clippers and guard James Harden “want this partnership to continue” as the 10-time All-Star heads for free agency, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Law Murray.

Amick and Murray added, however, it’s unclear what kind of value Harden will be seeking on his next contract. That presents a major variable for the Clippers considering they have nearly $169 million on the books in 2024-25 before accounting for the 34-year-old.

The signs seemingly point toward a reunion largely because the Clippers and Harden both have few realistic alternatives.

Because of its cap situation, Los Angeles wouldn’t be able to sign a replacement of Harden’s caliber were he to leave. The whole idea behind acquiring him in the first place was that the franchise didn’t have another means to get a third star to partner with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

Harden, meanwhile, is for the second successive offseason probably looking at a lukewarm market. There simply aren’t a lot of teams with cash to burn, and the ones that do are either rebuilding (Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs) or contenders that don’t make sense (Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic) as a landing spot.

Finding some middle ground could nonetheless be tricky for Harden and the Clippers.

The 2017-18 MVP played reasonably well, averaging 16.6 points and 8.5 assists while shooting 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Still, his general decline on the court continued and he finished yet another season with an underwhelming playoff performance. In the Clippers’ two losses to close out their first-round xit, he shot 7-of-28 from the floor for 23 points.

start a rebuild now. Opening a new arena with Leonard, who’s signed through 2026-27, and a worse supporting cast than he has now wouldn’t be ideal..

Maybe running it back with George, Harden and Leonard is a formula for more postseason heartbreak, but there isn’t a better path for the Clippers this summer.